When Zhan Chunlan and Fan Hongying arrived at the hospital, Deng Xiaomei was sitting by Liang Yin's bedside, accompanying her while she received an IV drip.

"Sister Xiaomei, how is Yinyin? Has she woken up?" Fan Hongying's eyes reddened when she saw this scene, feeling sorry for her.

"I just woke up for a little while, but I've fallen asleep again now." Seeing these two girls come to see Yin Yin, she felt both happy and sad. It's just that all the neighbors in the same residential compound know to come and see the children, but Liang Chao is such a grown man, does he not remember or does he not want to come?

"Thank you for coming to see Yinyin. Please sit on the bed." There wasn't much room to sit in the ward, so she tidied up the bed, invited the two to sit down, and then turned to pour two glasses of hot water.

"Sister Xiaomei, you don't need to worry about us. I just came to see Yinyin." Zhan Chunlan quickly took Deng Xiaomei's hand and made her sit down. She then gestured for Fan Hongying to bring out the milk candy they had specially bought at the department store.

"We're so happy that you two kids could come and see Yinyin. You don't need to bring anything." As she spoke, she stubbornly refused the milk candy that Fan Hongying offered. Zhan Chunlan stepped forward to help, but good heavens, she was really refusing! And the force she used was too much!

Zhan Chunlan said that she hadn't experienced such a scene in a long time and it felt somewhat retro. What was going on?

After just a few rounds, Fan Hongying and Zhan Chunlan were both sweating in the dead of winter before Deng Xiaomei finally accepted it.

Then, she insisted on pouring water for them and offering them milk sugar water.

The two had no choice but to accept it. As for the taste, Zhan Chunlan, who hadn't had anything good in a long time, said: "It's really delicious, with a rich milky flavor!"

After sitting for a while, the doctor arrived with the test results, saying that in addition to a cold, Yin Yin was also malnourished, and that she should take good care of herself after being discharged from the hospital.

Deng Xiaomei listened attentively to the doctor's words and carefully inquired about how to supplement the diet, what foods were good for the child, and what foods should not be eaten. She made a great effort to remember everything.

After the doctor left, she held Yin Yin's hand and silently shed tears. "I'm sorry, Yin Yin, it's Mom who's sorry. I knew your grandma was no good, but I still let you grow up under her care. It's Mom who's sorry."

Zhan Chunlan and Fan Hongying, watching from the side, also felt very uncomfortable. The two of them sat quietly by her side, keeping her company.

After she calmed down, the two told her about their previous plan. She didn't say anything, just thanked them for their concern, and then took them home.

"Chunlan, do you think Sister Xiaomei will listen to us?" Fan Hongying asked absentmindedly as they walked.

"Not necessarily." Zhan Chunlan understood that Deng Xiaomei did have some of the "good qualities" of modern women—hardworking, virtuous, filial to her parents-in-law, and caring for her husband. In short, she was submissive and patient.

But today, her youngest daughter is not only sick and not being properly cared for, but also malnourished!

Although Liang Tu wasn't well taken care of, he grew up chubby and rarely got sick. Liang Yin, on the other hand, was malnourished. It was obvious that old Mrs. Wang was responsible. Now, Deng Xiaomei was bound to be furious. It was just a matter of how she would deal with it.

"Huh? She'll try to smooth things over like before? Then I'll talk to her less in the future." Fan Hongying didn't get the answer she wanted, and her tone revealed disappointment and displeasure.

"Why?" Zhan Chunlan asked, puzzled.

"I'm afraid that if I spend too much time with her, my brain will become stupid!" Fan Hongying said with a serious expression.

“She shouldn’t let you down,” Zhan Chunlan smiled. “I just don’t know what she will do.”

The next day, Zhan Chunlan found out.

After Liang Yin was discharged from the hospital, Deng Xiaomei settled her in and then swung a kitchen knife, smashing open Old Mrs. Wang's locked treasure wooden box with a loud "bang," taking all the money. She didn't care whether it was hers or Liang Chao's; everything in this house was hers!

Grandma Wang watched helplessly as all the money she had saved up for half her life was emptied. Her vision blurred, and with a cry of "Ouch!" she collapsed to the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing.

"Good heavens! This is outrageous! The daughter-in-law is stealing her mother-in-law's retirement money! Everyone come and see, this is unbearable!"

Grandma Wang collapsed to the ground, pounding her chest and stamping her feet, her body swaying with the rhythm of her cries: "Heavens above—open your eyes! Why doesn't a bolt of lightning strike this unfilial wretch dead! I'm so old, I've worked so hard to help her raise her children, and this is how she treats me—she deserves to be struck by lightning—"

Deng Xiaomei didn't even bother to lift her eyelids, treating her howling as background music, and sat to the side, head down, focused on counting the money in her hand.

Liang Chao rushed forward to help his wailing mother up from the ground: "Mom, what are you doing? Get up first, let's sit down and talk things over."

"My son—I've worked so hard to raise your two children—and this is how your wife treats me! I can't live anymore—" Old Mrs. Wang collapsed into her son's arms, her voice rising and falling, changing tone three times in one sentence, her sobs were incredibly heart-wrenching.

To be honest, this old woman's wailing was actually quite "skilled," with several different intonations in a single sentence—something most people couldn't imitate. Deng Xiaomei watched coldly from the side, unable to help but roll her eyes inwardly.

"I raised you from infancy, helped you find a job and a wife, and now I'm helping you raise your child. What sins did I commit in my past life to deserve this treatment?" Old Mrs. Wang's dramatic and dramatic manner was truly heartbreaking and brought tears to the eyes of those who heard it. Unfortunately, few people around her were on her side.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade the old lady, Liang Chao came over to try and talk to Deng Xiaomei: "Xiaomei, what are you doing..."

“Liang Chao! My monthly salary is 35 yuan, and yours is 55 yuan.” Deng Xiaomei interrupted him directly, her voice as cold as ice. “Even if our monthly expenses are 20 yuan, we can still save 70 yuan. That’s 840 yuan a year, and 8400 yuan in ten years. After deducting social obligations and big purchases, we should have saved at least 2000 yuan over the years!”

She slammed the loose bills on the table, her voice trembling with anger: "But look at this! The whole family scrimped and saved, Liang Tu only bought one new outfit for the New Year, and Liang Yin didn't even have a new outfit, she wore hand-me-downs from the neighbors all the time—and what did they get? Less than a thousand yuan in total!"

She suddenly looked up, staring intently at Liang Chao: "Tell me, where did the rest of the money go?"

"This...this..." Liang Chao was somewhat at a loss. "Did you miscalculate?"

"Are you unable to think of it, or afraid to think about it?" Deng Xiaomei was annoyed by his expression. "Do you want me to give you a proper explanation? Do you want to think about the kind of life your uncle's family is living?"

“Your uncle and aunt are farmers, and your maternal grandparents have farmed all their lives, but their sons Wei Zhi and Wei Jie are both in high school in the city! Now even Wei Li is studying in the city! Your aunt has even rented a room in the city specifically to accompany them—they all dress more smartly than the families of officials!”

“Liang Chao, you’ve also gone to high school. Tell me, where do they get the money to do all this just by farming? If life in the countryside were really that good, would there be any need to mobilize educated youth to go to the countryside? Everyone would have rushed back long ago!”

Liang Chao was still somewhat incredulous. He turned to look at his elderly mother and asked, "Mom, what happened?"

When Deng Xiaomei started calculating the accounts, Old Mrs. Wang had already huddled quietly in the corner. Hearing Liang Chao's words, she didn't dare to answer, but was a little puzzled: "Is it that much? I only give them a little bit of living expenses occasionally. If Wei Zhi and Wei Jie get better, they will also help Liang Tu and Liang Yin."

Liang Chao asked in disbelief, "Mom? You really gave it to them? This is our money, why are you giving it to the Wei family?"

“Isn’t the Wei family also your maternal family? If they’re doing well, then our whole family will be doing well too.” The old lady Wang seemed to think she was right the more she talked, and her voice grew louder and louder.

"Mom!" Liang Chao was heartbroken. He had saved up for so long, planning to buy a bicycle, and now he only had a few hundred yuan left!

"Let me tell you, Liang Chao, from now on, all the money in this house will be under my management!" Deng Xiaomei wasn't willing to argue with them; she went straight to the point:

"If your mother continues to run this household, our hard-earned money will eventually all belong to the Wei family!"